State Bar Association calls MSG's lawyer exclusions discriminatory
New York State Bar AssociationNew York State Bar Association, through its president
Through president Sherry Levin Wallach, the association condemns facial-recognition exclusions tied to lawyers representing clients against a venue.
“The use of facial recognition software to exclude members of law firms from a Knicks basketball game or a Taylor Swift concert discriminates against lawyers for doing their jobs”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
James Dolan defends MSG's facial-recognition lawyer exclusions; New York officials object
In January 2023, James Dolan defended MSG Entertainment's use of facial recognition to bar lawyers at firms suing the company, saying a property owner may choose whom it serves. Letitia James and Brad Hoylman-Sigal objected that the policy punished people for pursuing legal claims. A New York appeals court later held that state law requires MSG to admit ticket holders to concerts and theatrical shows but not sporting events, with damages as the only remedy. MSG described the exclusions as a safety measure in 2025, and WIRED reported in May 2026 that MSG had revoked the tickets of a lawyer suing it.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
The association announces a working group and quotes its president opposing the use of facial recognition to exclude lawyers because their firms represent clients suing a venue.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
In early 2023, MSG was using facial recognition to exclude lawyers at firms suing the company.
After the quotation
The association launched a working group to study how the technology affects lawyers' ability to represent clients.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Reference point: MSG's policy of excluding lawyers at firms suing it. The association's president says using facial recognition to exclude members of law firms discriminates against lawyers for doing their jobs. Challenged the characterization loses because the statement rejects the practice rather than only disputing how it is described.
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More from this case
Read the full caseEFF criticizes MSG's exclusions and warns they could spread to protesters
Electronic Frontier Foundation
“Madison Square Gardens was recently caught using this technology to exclude employees of a law firm that sued the venue’s parent company. ... A business could easily extend this kind of “enemies list” to people who, online or on the sidewalk outside, protest a venue’s discriminatory policies.”Read statement
Williams rejects employer-based venue exclusions
“Individuals should not be removed from a place of business, because their employer is involved in legal action against said business.”Read statement
NYCLU calls MSG's ticket-holder exclusions an example of surveillance dangers
New York Civil Liberties Union
“The widely reported deployment of facial recognition at Madison Square Garden to ban people from the stadium that had already purchased tickets ... illustrates the dangers from the growing surveillance industry and the urgent need for comprehensive privacy protections.”Read statement
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- State Bar Association calls MSG's lawyer exclusions discriminatory
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The Dispute Index. "State Bar Association calls MSG's lawyer exclusions discriminatory". First published: 2026-10-18. Last updated: 2026-10-18. https://disputeindex.com/events/5944-through-president-sherry-levin-wallach-the-association-condemns